The invention herein relates to a system for reducing and storing combustible materials for use in subsequent processes. This system is particularly related to the reduction of feed coal for use in a subsequent coal gasification process.
A number of reducing systems presently available include feeders, mills, mechanical separators and circulating apparatus as well as inert gas generating means for supplying a medium incapable of supporting combustion, for carrying the reduced combustibles.
Some of the disadvantages of systems of this sort include the inordinate amounts of equipment necessary for circulating the inert gas, large amounts of auxiliary fuel for generating the inert gas and expensive separating means for eliminating fuel fines from the gas stream. Such systems may require bag filters and the like which are expensive to incorporate into a system and require constant maintenance which may affect the overall efficiency of the system.
A simplier system has been devised which eliminates many of the problems associated with separating fuel fines from gas streams and systems of the kind described herein.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system which eliminates the need for secondary filtering means for the separation of fuel fines from gas streams of the kind described herein.
It is another object of the present invention to utilize the fuel fines as an auxiliary fuel in an inert gas generator associated with systems of the kind described herein.
It is yet another object of the present invention to increase the efficiency of reducing and storage of combustibles, especially coal for subsequent gasification processes.